Recording instrument with mosaic printing head

ABSTRACT

A mosaic printing head for a line-dot printing system. The printing head carrying a plurality of driveable printing rods is caused to move bodily through an orbit which is so related to relative translative movement between the printing head and printing medium that at the moment of printing impact such relative movement is made zero. Thus clear punching of the printing medium is possible and same is accomplished without damage thereto.

United States Patent 1 Moser 1111 3,776,340 [4511 Dec. 4, 1973 RECORDING INSTRUMENT WITH MOSAIC PRINTING HEAD [75] Inventor: Erich Moser, Deisenhofen,

Germany [73] Assignee: Firrna RENA Buromaschineniabrik GmbH 8: C0., Dusenhofen near Myyishlfirma [22] Filed: Apr. 20, 1971 [21] App]. N0.: 135,566

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Apr. 24, 1970 Germany P 20 20 127.8

[52] US. Cl. 197/1 R, 101/93 C [51] Int. Cl. B4lj 3/02 [58] Field of Search 197/1 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,802,414 8/1957 Johnson 101/93 C 9/1960 Negri ..235/61.ll 3/1962 Handley 178/25 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 230,813 10/1959 Australia 197/1 Primary Examiner-Edgar. S. Burr AztomeyWoodhams, Blanchard & Flynn 71 ABSTRACT A mosaic printing head for a line-dot'printing system.

I The printing head carrying a plurality of driveable printing rods is caused to move bodily through an orbit which is so related to relative translative movement between the printing head and printing medium that at the moment of printing impact such relative movement is made zero. Thus clear punching of the printing medium is possible and same is accomplished without damage thereto.

8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDBEC .4 1915 3.776340 SHEET 10F 2 INVENTOR: [H619 d MSZE PATENIEUBEB 4 ms SHEET 2 UF 2 The invention relates to a recording instrument with mosaic printing head having recording needles and a feed drive.

For delivering data in accounting and invoice machines and in the read-out of electronic data processing units, recording instruments with mosaic printing heads are increasingly being used. The indicia are in such units presented by a picture-dot system. Two kinds of devices for setting forth the desired indicia are known in mosaic printing heads. One is that suitable dotmaking means are provided at each desired mosaic point and the required dot-making means for each character are activated simultaneously. It is also possible to arrange only one row of needles transversely to the direction of writing and to permit same then to form one character by a repeated activating of the needles of such a row. One disadvantage of such a system is that at a given writing output the needles must be activated at a much higher frequency. However, the higher the frequency of the needle movement, the smaller becomes the magnitude of stroke possible in response to a given electrical output. Therefore certain 25 use limitations have developed for both above-named types of construction. The mosaic printing head with a full number of needles is preferred in those units where the recorder head stands still relative to the print material when a character is formed and/or in those units wherein a large number of copies are made. A recorder head with one row of needles is used for simpler calculators with a smaller number of copies.

As a whole, the recording instruments with mosaic printing heads have, however, a printing output which is too low to meet usual requirements. Furthermore, there is the disadvantage that the print material can be damaged through the movement of the recording needles, particularly in the case of the'so-called flying writing which works with a continuous feed of the head relative tothe print material.

The purpose of the present invention is to produce a recording instrument with mosaic printing head of the above-mentioned type which has an improved printing output in characters per second without damaging the print material or without diminishing the recording quality.

To attain this purpose the invention provides for an additional stroke movement of the mosaic printing head to be superimposed over the movement of the printing needles. This obtains in an advantageous and simple manner an enlargement of the stroke of mosaic printing head and of the printing needles. JBy superimposing the two movements, the relatively small stroke of the printing needles can be supplemented by an additional stroke of the mosaic printing head. Particularly inthe case of accounting machines where so-called fasten-on units are being used for fastening. account cards in front of the journal for the purpose of a simultaneous printing, the presently experienced limited stroke of the printing needles can, according to the present invention, be overcome in a simple manner. According to a further characteristic of the invention, the mosaic printing head describes a closed curve. This closed According to a further characteristic'of the invention, in a recording instrument with a flying feed, the closed curve shaped stroke movement of the mosaic printing head cancels at the moment of writing the relative movement which would otherwise exist between the feed and the printing needles. For reasons of simplifying the feed drive and for increasing the output, it is desirable to provide for a flying writing operation,v

namely the printing needles are activated during a continuous feed movement of the mosaic printing head. Also, where a large number of copies are desired, the needles must beactivated with considerable energy to obtain the desired, possibly large, number of copies. The present invention does not only enlarge the relatively small stroke of the printing needles advantageously in a flying feed system but also cancels the relative movement between the print material and the printing needles which would otherwise existduring the stroke, namely, at the moment'of writing. This makes possible a clear print and avoids damage to the print material. Furthermore, the wear of the printing needles and the tracks is materially reduced.

According to a further characteristic of the invention, a positive driving systemrcan be utilized for the drive of the mosaic printing head. This driving system can for example be a pivoted cam or a reciprocating cam which causes the mosaic printing head to trace the desired. pattern.

This driving system can, according to a further characteristic of the invention, be provided with an eccentric mounted near the output point of the mosaic printing head, with the mosaic printing head at its other end 7 being supported both rotatably and slidingly. This provides a simple construction for causing the mosaic printing head to trace during the operation and exactly predetermined closed curve. In this'embodiment according to the invention the mosaic printing head moves with a continuous feed. In spite of this, however, at the moment of writing the relative movement of the feed and the printing needles is in the direction of the feed movement. A perfect print is thus obtained as above already mentioned.

According to a further characteristic of the invention, a driven gear is caused to roll ona rack to provide the feed of the mosaic printing head.

The eccentric shaft and the driven gear can according to a further characteristic of the invention be connected through direct driving means. In addition to a compact structural form, this makes possible an exact adjustment of the individual movement patterns with respect to one another. The direct driving means can, for example, be a belt drive.

According to a further inventive characteristic the eccentric shaft canbe directly connected to a drive motor.

The invention will bedescribed more in detail in connection with exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a recorder head of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view along the linell-Jl of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of the pattern of movement of the mosaic printing head of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a different embodiment of the recording instrument of the invention.

According to FIG. 1 the recording instrument of the invention comprises substantially a frame 1 which is formed on the side portions 2 and 3, the track 4, the rack 5 and the platen 6. A guide block 7 is movable back and forth on the track 4, and the mosaic printing head 8 is mounted thereon.

This mosaic printing head 8 has guide channels for the electromagnets 10 which drive the printing needles 9 (FIG. 2). Near the mouthpiece zone 11 of the printing head 8 there is provided a bearing 12 for the eccentric 13. At the other end of the mosaic printing head 8, namely at the side containing the electromagnets 10, there is mounted a guide 15 for a slider 16 which latter is rotatably supported on a pin 17. The eccentric 13 is arranged on a shaft 18 which is connected to a driving motor 19. This shaft 18 is rotatably supported in the guide block 7. Further, a gear 20 and a control disk 21 are provided on the shaft 18. The gear 20 drives through a toothed belt 22, the gears 23 and 24 which are secured on the pin 17. The gear 24 rolls on the rack The guide block 7 is moved in the longitudinal direction of the rack through the motor 19, the shaft 18, the gear 20, the toothed belt 22, the gear 23 and the gear 24. This provides a continuous feed due to the rolling of the gear on the stationary rack 5. At the same time the shaft 18 rotates the eccentric 13 and thereby moves the mosaic printing head 8 through a closed curve path. The mosaic printing head 8 thus slides on the slider 16 which during this movement rotates about the point 17. The ratios of the gear system are so chosen that a selected feed path of the guide block 7 corresponds to each rotation of the eccentric 13 according to the distance between the characters, in order to permit a vertical row writing of the symbols. The direction of rotation and the'size of the eccentric 13 are so chosen that the resultant of the printing needles 9 describing the closed curve K and the feed path of the guide block 7 equal zero at the moment when the printing needles 9 hit the paper 25. Thus no relative speed exists between the printing needles 9 and the paper 25 at the moment of contact therebetween (compare FIG. 3)

The printing needles 9 required for each character are selected during the eccentric stroke and are driven from the needle area by the electromagnets 10. The selection is doen by means of a matrix. The time period for energizing the electromagnet 10 is determined by the control disk 21, namely through a contact or a light barrier. This time period is preferably so chosen that the needle stroke movement is completed when the eccentric 13 is in printing position.

This recording instrument ofthe invention enlarges the relatively small stroke of the printing needles through the additional stroke of the eccentric 13, overcomes the undesired relative movement between print material and printing needles 9 during the stroke, namely at the moment of writing, reduces the wear on the printing needles and the tracks and in addition permits in a simple manner a continuous feed of the guide block 7.

According to a further, but not illustrated, possible embodiment, it is also possible to move the guide block 7 along the track through a pulley-type transmission driven by the drive motor rather than arranging the drive motor on the eccentric shaft. In such case,'the rotation of the eccentric shaft and the resulting closed curve shaped movement of the recorder head are offected from a gear rolling on the rack.

FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the recording in strument of the invention which can, for example, be used for writing on punched cards. The punched card which has already been punched in a previous operation is in this operation to be labeled. The recorder head 8 is in this case arranged stationarily while the goods to be labeled, the punched card 26, is moved continuously. The transporting of the print material, the punched card, is preferably accomplished by pairs of rolls 27,28 and 29,30 which are driven synchronously with the eccentric drive through suitable gearing. The printing needles 9 which are activated to print are caused by means of an eccentric to move during the moment of writing in the direction of the feed movement of the print material at an orbital speed which corresponds to the transportingspeed of the print material. Thus, again, the advantageis realized that no relative movement occurs between printing needles and print material during the moment of writing: 16 16 16 16 0. A clearly formed character is obtained and damage to the print material is avoided.

The present invention also makes it possible to construct a recording instrument with a mosaic printing head in such a manner as to obtain a material improvement of the writing output in terms of characters per second. The printing needles can be moved at a higher frequency without damaging the print material.

Although a particular preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in detail for illustrative purposes, it will be recognized that variations or modifications of the disclosed apparatus, including the rear rangement of parts, lie within the scope of the present invention.

I claim:

1. In a recording instrument for a printing medium, the combination comprising:

a mosaic printing head movably supporting therewithin a plurality of selectively actuable printing needles and having a mouthpiece end through which said printing needles are extendible;

feed drive means for causing relative feeding movement between said mosaic printing head as a whole and the printing medium in a direction transverse of said printing needles;

means oscillating said mosaic printing head as a whole for moving said mouthpiece end through a closed curve, said closed curve including a portion parallel with the direction of said feeding movement, said oscillating means including an eccentric engaging the mosaic printing head near the mouthpiece end thereof and means supporting the other end of the mosaic printing head rotatably and slidingly;

means positively interengaging said oscillating means and feed drive means for causing said closed curve movement of said mosaic printing head to cancel said feeding movement during printing,

said supporting means including a slider slidable in a groove in said mosaic printing head and a pin for rotatably supporting said slider for causing the mo saic printing head to move through said closed curve.

2. A recording instrument according to claim 1, in

which said feed drive means includes a rack and a driven gear engaged with said rack and means positively and rotatably drivingly interconnecting said driven gear with said oscillating means.

3. In a recording instrument for a printing medium,

the combination comprising:

a mosaic printing head movably supporting there within a plurality of selectively actuable printing needles and having a mouthpiece end through which said printing needles are extendable;

feed drive means for causing relative feeding movement between said mosaic printing head as a whole and the printing medium in a direction transverse of said printing needles;

means oscillating said mosaic printing head as a whole for moving said mouthpiece end through a closed curve, said closed curve including a portion parallel with the direction of said feeding movement, said oscillating means including an eccentric engaging the mosaic printing head near the mouthpiece end thereof and means supporting the other end of the mosaic printing head rotatably and slidy;

means positively interengaging said oscillating means and feed drive means for causing said closed curve 4 movement of said mosaic printing head to cancel said feeding movement during printing,

said feed drive means including a track and a guide block slidable along said track, said eccentric being rotatably driven and being rotatably carried by said guide block, said means supporting the other end of said mosaic printing head comprising a slider supported by said guide block for rotation relative thereto.

4. In a recording instrument for a printing medium,

the combination comprising:

a mosaic printing head movably supporting therewithin a plurality of selectively actuable printing needles and having a mouthpiece end through which said printing needles are extendible;

feed drive means for causing relative feeding move ment between said mosaic printing head as a whole and the printing medium in a direction transverse of said printing needles;

means oscillating said mosaic printing head as a whole for moving said mouthpiece end through a closed curve; said closed curve including a portion parallel with the direction of said feeding movement, said oscillating means including an eccentric engaging the mosaic printing head near the mouthpiece end thereof and means supporting the other end of the mosaic printing head rotatably and slidy;

means positively interengaging said oscillating means and feed drive means for causing said closed curve movement of said mosaic printing head to cancel said feeding movement during printing, said feed drive means including a fixed rack and a driven gear engaged therewith for providing said feeding movement, said positively interengaging printing. 0 V

' means including a rotative belt drive between said eccentric and said driven gear.

5. A recording instrument according to claim 4, in-

eluding a drive motor connected to said eccentric.

6. In a recording instrument for a printing medium,

the combination comprising:

a mosaic printing head movably supporting therewithin a plurality of selectively actuable printing needles and having a mouthpiece end through which said printing needles are extendible;

feed drive means for causing relative feeding movement between said mosaic printing head as a whole and the printing medium in a direction transverse of said printing needles;

means oscillating said mosaic printing head as a whole for moving said mouthpiece end through a closed curve;

actuating means supported on said mosaic printing head for extending selectable ones of said printing needles, a guide block adjacent said mosaic printing head, first and second shafts extending rotatably through said guide block toward the mouthpiece end and the other end of said mosaic printing head respectively, said oscillating means including an eccentric rotatably received in said mosaic printing head and carried by said first shaft for noncoaxial rotation therewith, said oscillating means further including a slider rotatably supported by said second shaft and means on said mosaic printing head defining a guide extending toward said eccentric and adjacent said other end of said mosaic printing head for slidably receiving said slider and drive means for'rotating said first shaft so as to cause said mouthpiece end of said mosaic printing head to move through said closed curv'e, said closed curve being defined by the inter-relationship of said'eccentric and slider with respect to said mosaic printing head.

a 7. A recording instrument according to claim 6, in which said closed curve has a major axis extending transversely of said printing needles and wherein said other end of said mosaic printing head is constrained by said slider to movement through a. substantially figure 8 shape and having a major axis transverse to the major axis of said closed curve.

8. A recording instrument according to claim 6, including a track extending transversely of said first and second shafts and slidably carrying said guide block, said feed drive means including a rack extending parallel to said track and a driven gear on said second shaft and drive means positively interconnected to said driven gear, and motor means positively interconnected to the first shaft and through said drive means to said driven gear for energizing said means for oscillating said mosaic head and said feed drive means in such manner that movement of said mouthpiece end along said closed curve into adjacency with the printing medium cancels said feeding movement during 

1. In a recording instrument for a printing medium, the combination comprising: a mosaic printing head movably supporting therewithin a plurality of selectively actuable printing needles and having a mouthpiece end through which said printing needles are extendible; feed drive means for causing relative feeding movement between said mosaic printing head as a whole and the printing medium in a direction transverse of said printing needles; means oscillating said mosaic printing head as a whole for moving said mouthpiece end through a closed curve, said closed curve including a portion parallel with the direction of said feeding movement, said oscillating means including an eccentric engaging the mosaic printing head near the mouthpiece end thereof and means supporting the other end of the mosaic printing head rotatably and slidingly; means positively interengaging said oscillating means and feed drive means for causing said closed curve movement of said mosaic printing head to cancel said feeding movement during printing, said supporting means including a slider slidable in a groove in said mosaic printing head and a pin for rotatably supporting said slider for causing the mosaic printing head to move through said closed curve.
 2. A recording instrument according to claim 1, in which said feed drive means includes a rack and a driven gear engaged with said rack and means positively and rotatably drivingly interconnecting said driven gear with said oscillating means.
 3. In a recording instrument for a printing medium, the combination comprising: a mosaic printing head movably supporting therewithin a plurality of selectively actuable printing needles and having a mouthpiece end through which said printing needles are extendable; feed drive means for causing relative feeding movement between said mosaic printing head as a whole and the printing medium in a direction transverse of said printing needles; means oscillating said mosaic printing head as a whole for moving said mouthpiece end through a closed curve, said closed curve including a portion parallel with the direction of said feeding movement, said oscillating means including an eccentric engaging the mosaic printing head near the mouthpiece end thereof and means supporting the other end of the mosaic printing head rotatably and slidingly; means positively interengaging said oscillating means and feed drive means for causing said closed curve movement of said mosaic printing head to cancel said feeding movement during printing, said feed drive means including a track and a guide block slidable along said track, said eccentric being rotatably driven and being rotatably carried by said guide block, said means supporting the other end of said mosaic printing head comprising a slider supported by said guide block for rotation relative thereto.
 4. In a recording instrument for a printing medium, the combination comprising: a mosaic printing head movably supporting therewithin a plurality of selectively actuable printing needles and having a mouthpiece end thRough which said printing needles are extendible; feed drive means for causing relative feeding movement between said mosaic printing head as a whole and the printing medium in a direction transverse of said printing needles; means oscillating said mosaic printing head as a whole for moving said mouthpiece end through a closed curve; said closed curve including a portion parallel with the direction of said feeding movement, said oscillating means including an eccentric engaging the mosaic printing head near the mouthpiece end thereof and means supporting the other end of the mosaic printing head rotatably and slidingly; means positively interengaging said oscillating means and feed drive means for causing said closed curve movement of said mosaic printing head to cancel said feeding movement during printing, said feed drive means including a fixed rack and a driven gear engaged therewith for providing said feeding movement, said positively interengaging means including a rotative belt drive between said eccentric and said driven gear.
 5. A recording instrument according to claim 4, including a drive motor connected to said eccentric.
 6. In a recording instrument for a printing medium, the combination comprising: a mosaic printing head movably supporting therewithin a plurality of selectively actuable printing needles and having a mouthpiece end through which said printing needles are extendible; feed drive means for causing relative feeding movement between said mosaic printing head as a whole and the printing medium in a direction transverse of said printing needles; means oscillating said mosaic printing head as a whole for moving said mouthpiece end through a closed curve; actuating means supported on said mosaic printing head for extending selectable ones of said printing needles, a guide block adjacent said mosaic printing head, first and second shafts extending rotatably through said guide block toward the mouthpiece end and the other end of said mosaic printing head respectively, said oscillating means including an eccentric rotatably received in said mosaic printing head and carried by said first shaft for noncoaxial rotation therewith, said oscillating means further including a slider rotatably supported by said second shaft and means on said mosaic printing head defining a guide extending toward said eccentric and adjacent said other end of said mosaic printing head for slidably receiving said slider and drive means for rotating said first shaft so as to cause said mouthpiece end of said mosaic printing head to move through said closed curve, said closed curve being defined by the inter-relationship of said eccentric and slider with respect to said mosaic printing head.
 7. A recording instrument according to claim 6, in which said closed curve has a major axis extending transversely of said printing needles and wherein said other end of said mosaic printing head is constrained by said slider to movement through a substantially figure 8 shape and having a major axis transverse to the major axis of said closed curve.
 8. A recording instrument according to claim 6, including a track extending transversely of said first and second shafts and slidably carrying said guide block, said feed drive means including a rack extending parallel to said track and a driven gear on said second shaft and drive means positively interconnecting said driven gear, and motor means positively interconnected to the first shaft and said driven gear for energizing said means for oscillating said mosaic head and said feed drive means in such manner that movement of said mouthpiece end along said closed curve into adjacency with the printing medium cancels said feeding movement during printing. 